The Barrie woman killed Monday in a head-on collision on Highway 26 in Clearview Township has been identified as a longtime employee of Easter Seals.
Easter Seals Ontario Services says Erica Vanclief, 46, had been with the organization for the past 22 years. She was manager of services for Easter Seals Ontario.
“Erica was a true champion for the children and families of Easter Seals. She had a profound sense of duty and commitment, working tirelessly and putting in long hours to fulfill requests and ensure families received responses and funding as quickly as possible,” Easter Seals said in a statement provided to BarrieToday.
“Over the last two decades, Erica made a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of Easter Seals children and families," the statement said.
Easter Seals is a group of charitable organizations which support the development and advancement of people who are living with different types of disabilities.
On Dec. 19, 2022, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Huronia West OPP, along with emergency services, responded to a two-vehicle collision involving a pickup truck and passenger vehicle on Highway 26 between Richardson Road and Strongville Road, west of Barrie.
The driver of the pickup truck, a 45-year-old man from Clearview Township, was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre with serious, life-threatening injuries.
Vanclief, who was driving the passenger vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two passengers, a 47-year-old woman from Newmarket and a 48-year-old woman from Scarborough, were airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre with serious, life-threatening injuries.
Easter Seals has confirmed that one current employee and one former employee of its provincial arm were the passengers, but did not identify them.
Easter Seals says Vanclief was a "cherished member" and "greatly loved and respected by her colleagues and the families she served.
"Her warm, welcoming personality instantly put everyone at ease and endeared her to those she came in contact with," said the statement. "She had a beautiful smile, a wonderful sense of humour, and an infectious laugh that filled the room."
The organization also said that, outside of work, Vanclief "readily volunteered countless hours at Easter Seals events, especially within her home community of Barrie."
